Growing our Heritage: In Search of a Full Quiver Month 6--Satan HATES adoption
We are officially in month six of our matched adoption and have our finalization court date set. Everyone is excited and relieved to be at this point. "A" is a completely different child and so very ready to be adopted. As far as dealing with the struggles associated with adopting a child from foster care--those have minimized almost to the point of being non-existent. Most of our struggles these days are what I would characterize as normal kid stuff. However we seem to be dealing with a new struggle and our foe has doubled down on the attack.
Satan hates adoption.
He hates the healing that comes with it. He hates the broken cycles of abuse and drug addition. He hates the love and the hope...he hates everything about it.
We have been under what I can call nothing short of a blitz attack. There have been issues after issues in our personal lives; finances, housing, deaths, sicknesses, relationships... I can go on and on here, but won't because he doesn't deserve the credit or attention. I will admit that I was wearing a veil-for quite a while. I remained blind to the true enemy, and the force that I should have been fighting against all along. I allowed the stress to get to me and beat me down--it was leaving me exhausted, depressed, moody and with a hair trigger. But tonight I had a revelation.
Things have gotten so very difficult as we near this life-altering adoption day, and Satan knows he isn't stopping the day itself from happening but he sure can throw things in our path and attempt to strip me of my joy. I was allowing him to do just that.
But NO MORE! Tonight I reclaim my Joy! While listening to a local Christian radio station, I felt like God was speaking directly to me. One of my favorite Bible stories of all time is the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the three who refused to bow before the king and were thrown into the furnace for their defiance. The message I heard on the radio stated that God did not choose to stop their fire (it continued to burn around them) but he did choose to send Jesus into the fire with them. With Christ's help, they exited the fire unscathed and without even the scent of smoke. I rebuke Satan's attacks on myself and my family in Jesus's name because I know that Jesus is in this fire with us. He is walking beside us every step of the way and is using the fire to refine us as the silversmith refines and strengthens his creation. The fire is not a bad thing. It is used to make us stronger, rid us of impurities and allow the silversmith to see His (Christ's) reflection in our lives.
I choose to bring God glory by praising Him in these trials and attacks. I choose to exude the Joy of the Lord because He can then use that peace that surpasses understanding to light a fire in others around me. I choose Joy in spite of frustration; I choose Joy in spite of empty bank accounts; I choose Joy in spite of fear; because I have everything in the world (and beyond it) to be Joyful about.
I choose adoption!
How we got here
Month 1
Month 2
Month 3
Month 5
Satan hates adoption.
He hates the healing that comes with it. He hates the broken cycles of abuse and drug addition. He hates the love and the hope...he hates everything about it.
We have been under what I can call nothing short of a blitz attack. There have been issues after issues in our personal lives; finances, housing, deaths, sicknesses, relationships... I can go on and on here, but won't because he doesn't deserve the credit or attention. I will admit that I was wearing a veil-for quite a while. I remained blind to the true enemy, and the force that I should have been fighting against all along. I allowed the stress to get to me and beat me down--it was leaving me exhausted, depressed, moody and with a hair trigger. But tonight I had a revelation.
Things have gotten so very difficult as we near this life-altering adoption day, and Satan knows he isn't stopping the day itself from happening but he sure can throw things in our path and attempt to strip me of my joy. I was allowing him to do just that.
But NO MORE! Tonight I reclaim my Joy! While listening to a local Christian radio station, I felt like God was speaking directly to me. One of my favorite Bible stories of all time is the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the three who refused to bow before the king and were thrown into the furnace for their defiance. The message I heard on the radio stated that God did not choose to stop their fire (it continued to burn around them) but he did choose to send Jesus into the fire with them. With Christ's help, they exited the fire unscathed and without even the scent of smoke. I rebuke Satan's attacks on myself and my family in Jesus's name because I know that Jesus is in this fire with us. He is walking beside us every step of the way and is using the fire to refine us as the silversmith refines and strengthens his creation. The fire is not a bad thing. It is used to make us stronger, rid us of impurities and allow the silversmith to see His (Christ's) reflection in our lives.
I choose to bring God glory by praising Him in these trials and attacks. I choose to exude the Joy of the Lord because He can then use that peace that surpasses understanding to light a fire in others around me. I choose Joy in spite of frustration; I choose Joy in spite of empty bank accounts; I choose Joy in spite of fear; because I have everything in the world (and beyond it) to be Joyful about.
I choose adoption!
How we got here
Month 1
Month 2
Month 3
Month 5
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